We all warm-up before we exercise, don’t we? Yet, there are times when we complain of pain in our hip joints or our elbows hurt or, worse, our calf muscles ache. Fitness experts diagnose this condition as lack of flexibility training. Says Reva Puri, Calcutta-based fitness expert: “Flexibility training is a very important component of fitness. It strengthens large muscle groups of the body, thereby minimising muscle tear.” Simply put, flexibility training improves your posture and prevents low back pain.

But then what is flexibility? Chad Tackett, on the website about.com, defines flexibility as a joint’s ability to move smoothly through a full range of motion. For instance, when you twist from side to side, the joints around your waist undergo one full motion each time you twist. If the joint movements are not smooth, you’d feel the pain.

Reaching out

Flexibility is of three kinds ? dynamic, static-active and static-passive. A flexibility training programme comprises different types of stretching exercises. Stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors helps relax the tissues and reduces the risk of a long-term chronic injury. Says Leena Mogre, director, Specialised Fitness Gyms in Mumbai: “In order to determine how flexible one is, we do the sit-and-reach test (see box). This is a standard test that helps determine the flexibility level.” Once the test is done, various exercises are prescribed for different parts of the body. It is always done after the warm-up and before you begin working out. Some of the types of stretching include dynamic stretching, static-active stretching, static-passive stretching, isometric stretching and propio receptive neuro muscular facilitation (PNF). While the first four can be done independently, the last one involves a partner and requires a trainer’s supervision.

The benefits of stretching are enormous. According to Mogre, while working out, lactic acid gets into one’s system. That makes the body stiff and the joints constricted in their movements ? so much so that the next day’s workout is affected. Stretching helps keep the flow of the joints smooth and increases the body’s exercising capacity. In fact, intense stretching can help shape the body, she adds. Mogre herself does power yoga that includes a variety of stretching exercises, twice a week.

For those who are into active sports, stretching helps strengthen the muscles which are in excess use. A sport such as tennis or football involves the use of one hand or leg that is always in action. As a result, one part of the body becomes more developed and is more stressed out than the other. It is no surprise then that tennis players pull out of matches because of muscle pulls. It also explains why football players take time off to nurse their kicking foot.

All for sport

Flexibility training helps sportsmen to maintain balance and reduces the risk of chronic injuries. Fitness experts across the world opine that stretching increases the supply of blood and nutrients to joint structures. The joints in our body produce a fluid that is lubricating in nature. Stretching increases the production of this fluid and that helps transport more nutrients to the joint atricular cartilage. But then, certain things ought to be kept in mind.

Stretching should be done both before and after the workout. Overstretching also leads to muscle tear. Mogre points out, “After an intense workout, stretching helps relax muscle tissues. This eliminates any soreness of the body and you look forward to working out the next day.” So, if you need to exercise, just stretch and begin.

LEARNING CURVE

All you need to know about the sit-and-reach test

Remove your shoes and sit on the floor with feet flat against the special sit-and-reach table. Your legs must be straight.

Reach forward and push the toes along the table as far as possible. The distance from the toes to the edge of the table represents the person’s score.

As the sit-and-reach table has an overhang of 15 cm, a person who reaches 10 cm past their toes, scores 25 cm.

(The test should be taken under the supervision of a trainer)